Posted by js on November 02, 2001 at 22:46:06:
In Reply to: Willson Tubas posted by Tim Cary on November 02, 2001 at 14:24:30:
I've not ever seen one until I saw it for sale. That style of tuba is a bit better than a "student" model. It is a three valve tuba, but it is a COMPENSATING three valve tuba, which helps out the intonation of pitches involving the use of more that one valve at at time. The "monel" valves have an outer hull made of a stainless - mostly nickel + magnesium - alloy. Monel, is sort of a "nickel version" of stainless steel, except other additives rather than chrome are used for the "stainless" properties. Possibly/probably, your Willson valves are NOT monel but are actually STAINLESS STEEL, as that is what Willi Kurath has used for years for his piston hulls.